Sheer Strength
by MonkeyMintBro
Summary: Bolin fails to rescue an 8 year old girl from drowning, due to not having the strength to lift a boulder out of the way. The guilt soon overwhelms him, and the immense drive to becoming stronger leads him to take drastic measures to achieve greater strength. It's up to Korra and her friends to help the depressed and angry Bolin revert back to his original happy self.


"You can't go in there sir." The worker blocks Bolin's attempt at entry into the tunnel.

Bolin tries to shove him out of the way. Still trying to catch his breath, he manages to utter the words "I have...to go...in there!"

"But sir, there's been a water main break and the entire tunnel is probably gonna be flooded in a couple minutes. Not only that, the damn water has weakened the inner walls themselves – the whole thing could cave in."

Hearing the critical circumstances, the Earthbender quickly connects the dots and narrates what he presumed had happened. "Let me guess, four guys, thugs, came in here through a truck earlier, went down there and suddenly all hell broke loose?"

The worker was slightly startled at Bolin's accuracy, "Yeah, how'd you know?".

"I've been chasing them on foot, they took a child with them, they probably took her down there...there's a child in there, and I need to go get her. Now."

No longer able to think of a valid reason to deny Bolin, the opposing man submits, "Fine, but if they're doing what I think they're doing, you'd better get there now before-", Bolin wastes no time and instantly begins sprinting towards the tunnel, "before the tunnel collapses!"

He looks back as he runs, "Don't worry, I'm an Earthbender, I can handle it!"

 _If only I was a Waterbender too._

The sewer smells exactly how anyone would imagine it would. Filth, mold and stench. Even while breathing deeply and rapidly from running what had seemed to be, miles upon miles, Bolin wasn't affected by it at all. In fact, he didn't even notice the horrific smell. He was too focused on finding her. The little girl who would die if he doesn't get to her in time. What if he's already too late? Bolin tried desperately to keep that thought locked away, but he couldn't help but think she might already be dead. It was only natural to do so.

The pipes above him were significantly damaged, all of them burst, water spraying outwards and onto the ground creating a drizzle and other water induced noises – the slosh of his boots as he took each step haunted him in his dreams for months on afterwards. His feet felt numb from the ice cold sludge seeping into his shoes. The drops of water that landed on and around his eyes blurred his vision. So many environmental factors were piling on him relentlessly.

 _I'm so cold right now. So hungry. So tired. I can't even see straight. But forget about all that. Forget about everything! Just go. Go!_

The tunnel almost seems endless, but finally, a breakthrough – a scream for help – a child's voice! Both relieved and somewhat devastated at the shriek of a child, he follows it frantically. All the noises, the drizzle, the sprinkle, the spray, the splashes, every bit of sound emanating from and bouncing off his surroundings collectively turn into a roar. But once he reaches the wall, that wall, nearly everything silences. He can just hear her desperate, muffled, voice. There's no time for introductions.

"Hello?! What's going on in there?! Are you hurt?!"

"No I'm fine, but there's water flooding this place, and I can't get out! I'm tied to a chair! Please get me out of here, I wanna go home, please!"

"I will. I will! I promise. You're gonna be okay, just hold on."

Never before has he Earthbended with so much ferocity. One boulder out of the way, two boulders, three, four, five. Each one incrementing in size and mass. He has never felt so exhausted in his life. There appears to be some metal support beams behind the first layer of rock.

 _This wall was clearly put here by those...there's no words to describe the kind of people that would do this._

First layer down, now for the metal. He can't metalbend. He's tried before, and he's tried hard. He knows that a child drowning still wont be the thing that could summon that ability. He's already decided that nothing can. Not within the tiny amount of time he has anyway. So instead he smashes the rocks from the first layer of the wall to dent the metal out of the way. After at least two dozen blows the third and final layer is exposed, there for dismantling.

"How're you doin' in there?!"

"I'm still breathing...please hurry! It's up to my neck!"

He summons all he has. All of his will. All of his love, compassion, anger, everything he has. One hundred percent.

First, second, third boulder out of the way. One more. Just. One. More. The biggest and heaviest of them all. He attempts to lift it. He struggles and struggles. He screams out of frustration. He can't do it. He can't. He knows he can't. There has to be another way - taking the boulder apart. He places both of his palms onto the boulder. With closed eyes and immense focus, the pro-bender attempts to cause the rock to crumble. But wait, _I can't do it..?_ _What? Why not! Just focus and-_ He balls his hands into fists and drives them into the boulder, attempting to crumble it again, but with no success. "AAGH COME ON DAMN YOU!" _For spirit's sake, why isn't it working?! Ah screw it - there's gotta be another way...I'll just erode it away bit by bit. Yes, that should do it._ And so begins clawing at the rock. Breaking it apart, piece by piece. Hope begins to enter his eyes again. When all seems like it's going to be fine, the worst happens. Four of the scum bags arrive.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" One of them has an unforgettable scar on his left cheek.

"Her daddy sen'chu? Yeah well no-one's gettin' in there." This one has a disgustingly satisfied smirk on his face, as do the other two.

"I am." Two words are all he needs, and he makes the first move. The first eleven moves to be exact. He performs two alternating spinning back kicks, left foot first, shift forward, then the right foot. Two earth projectiles rocket from the ground and through the air like missles. The first misses but the second lands straight into the scarred one's temple. _One down, three to go._ He follows up the attack with three sets of jab-jab-crosses followed by a hurricane kick, causing a barrage of rocks to come flying towards the three men. The probender's attacks were just too relentless for two of the men to maintain their footing, and so both of them absorbed several shots with their foreheads.

Quick and consecutive attacks, rock after rock. Just like with the discs in pro-bending. Except this time he wasn't holding anything back – all head shots, groin shots, 'unnecessary roughness', or rather, necessary roughness. Whatever it took. Only one left standing now. The man throws a front kick motion in an attempt to return fire back at Bolin, but Bolin raises his forearms at a ninety degree angle, parallel to his opponent, causing a pair of pillars to emerge from the ground and block the incoming attack. _Go to hell._ With that, he shoves the pillars forward at blinding speed. The beams of rock don't slow down even a little after impact with the target - the man is seemlingly flattened onto the wall behind him. And they were down. All of them possibly out for good, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the one person depending on him at that moment. He returns to the task at hand.

"Hey, you still with me?!"

There is no reply. He realizes that at this point she is completely under water. He tries to dig his way underneath the boulder as a quicker way to get to her, but he hits more metal underneath.

 _They've thought of everything. Those ba- no time to think, just keep going._

"I will get you out of there! I will!"

He continues to erode the boulder ferociously, only to find more metal embedded within the rock, thus slowing him down again. Three minutes. It took him three minutes to finally get through and release all the built up water from inside. A miniature flood blasts past him. But he was still standing. Strong and stubborn – like the earth, like the boulder that was in his way.

And there she is. Lifeless. Tied to a chair. Her head facing downwards as her chin is resting on her chest.

 _No. I can't be too late. No, please no._

He approaches her, kneels down and uses a shard of rock to cut through the ropes around her legs and torso. Her body falls forward onto his, and he rests her on the ground, cupping the back of her head. He tries to resuscitate her, but his efforts are futile. After countless chest compressions, he realizes she is gone. And some part of him had gone with her.

First it begins at the base of his spine. Then it flows into and through his lungs. And then he can contain it no longer – a scream of sorrow echoes through the tunnel.

 _I'm sorry... I'm so, so, sorry._

* * *

 **Note to reader:**

When I had first thought of this story, I had intended it to intertwine with the canon of the show and simply add character development to Bolin in season 1 that I felt he lacked. But now that the show has been over with for so long, I feel like it would be more fun to just let loose on ideas for the characters and turn this into a fully fledged AU - it is a fan fiction after all. So, to refresh your memory and give you some context for this AU, here are some points to take note of:

\- Bolin and Mako have met Korra and they are taking part in probending matches.

\- From the very beginning, Bolin had a crush on the Avatar but it was clear to him that she didn't reciprocate and instead was developing a romance with his brother Mako. So he never asked her on a date and let his feelings become known. Instead he bit the bullet, kept his feelings hidden and just tried to be happy for his older brother - he tried to move on, but during the point at which the story begins he still isn't completely over her.

\- Mako split from Korra in favor of Asami.

\- Mako and Asami are being overly intimate in the open, and Korra is gagging from it.

\- Bolin, Mako, Asami and Korra are staying at Air Temple Island.

\- EDIT: So basically we're at the end of season 1 but Mako is with Asami.

Also, many of the main characters from Attack On Titan exist somewhere in this AU, either as part of the Order of the White Lotus or Republic City Police. I plan on typing up several stories on this idea in the near future, so stay tuned.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own Avatar: The Legend Of Korra or Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters involved in this story.

A review would really be appreciated. I do take constructive feedback seriously and I always try to improve from it. Thank you for reading :)


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